Dispensing container and charging valve therefor



Jan. 23, 1968 J. A. KRIZKA 3,365,105

DISPENSING CONTAINER AND CHARGING VALVE THEREFOR Filed Jan. 7, 1966ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,365,105 DISPENSING CONTAINER ANDCHARGING VALVE THEREFOR Jerry A. Krizka, Markham, 11]., assignor toContinental Can Company, Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New YorkFiled Jan. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 519,386 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-394) ABSTRACT 0FTHE DISCLOSURE A dispensing container having a body and a lower closuredefining a propellant chamber, and valve means for introducingpropellant into the chamber. The valve means includes a boss projectingupwardly from the lower closure, and passage means therein are normallyclosed by a flexible member externally surrounding the boss wherebydeflection of the flexible member permits the introduction of apropellant into the chamber while subsequent rebounding prevents theescape of the propellant.

This invention relates to a novel dispensing container, and isparticularly directed to a novel charging valve for introducing apropellant into a propellant chamber of the container and preventing theescape of the propellant at the termination of a charging operation andthe subsequent life of the dispensing container.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing containerof the type including a container body closed by upper and lowerclosures, means defining a product chamber and a propellant chamber inthe body, means for controllably dispensing a dispensable product fromthe product chamber under the influence of a pres surized propellant inthe propellant chamber, and valve means for charging the propellantchamber, the valve means including a boss projecting from the lowerclosure toward the upper closure, the boss including a main passagebetween the exterior and interior of the lower closure, and a passageportion opening generally radially through the boss, and a flexiblemember at least partially externally surrounding the boss and overlyingthe passage portion whereby propellant introduced into the main passagecauses deflection of the flexible member and the subsequent reboundingof the flexible member closes the passage portion and prevents theescape of propellant from the propellant chamber.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensingcontainer of the type just described in which the boss includes meansrestraining the flexible member against axial movement toward the upperclosure under the influence of propellant being admitted into thepropellant chamber during a charging operation whereby inadvertent oraccidential disassembly of the flexible member and the boss isprecluded.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensingcontainer of the type heretofore described wherein the boss is anintegral portion of the lower closure, the lower closure is constructedfrom metallic material, and the passage portion is a deformed openingformed in a portion of the lower closure prior to a draw ing operationwhich transforms the portion into the boss.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear,the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by referenceto the following detailed description, the appended claims and theseveral views illustrated in the accompanying drawing:

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a novel dispensing container ofthis invention with parts thereof broken away for clarity, andillustrates a charging valve "ice housed internally of the container andformed in part by a lower closure thereof.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally alongline 22 of FIGURE 1, and illustrates an annular flexible membersurrounding an upstanding boss having a plurality of radial openings.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 3-3of FIGURE 2, and more clearly illustrates the charging valve in theclosed position thereof.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken through the lowerend portion of a dispensing container similar to the dispensingcontainer of FIGURE 1, and illustrates another charging valve secured toa lower closure of the container.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally alongline 55 of FIGURE 4, and illustrates a flexible member surrounding aboss of the valve and normally closing radial passages of the boss inthe closed position of the charging valve.

A novel dispensing container and charging valve therefor constructed inaccordance with this invention is fully illustrated in FIGURE 1 of thedrawing and is generally referred to by the reference numeral 10. Thedispensing container 10 includes a generally cylindrical metallic body11 closed at an upper end portion by an upper domeshaped closure 12. Theclosure 12 is secured to the body 11 by means of a conventional doubleseam 13. A manually operable conventional dispensing valve mechanism,generally referred to by the reference numeral 14, is carried by theupper closure 12 and is in fluid communication with a product chamber(unnumbered) defined by a collapsible bag 15.

A lower end of the dispensing container 10 is closed by means of aconcave, metallic lower closure 16 secured by means of a conventionaldouble seam 17 to the container body 11. A propellant charging valve,generally referred to by the reference numeral 20, is housed within apropellant chamber 21, and is defined in part by the lower closure 16.

The charging valve 20 comprises a boss, generally referred to by thereference numeral 22, and a generally annular, flexible member 23(FIGURES 2 and 3). The boss 22 is formed by a drawing and crimpingoperation, as will be more apparent hereafter, and includes an axiallydisposed wall 24 projecting from the lower closure 16 upwardly towardthe closure 12. The boss 22 terminates in an end wall 25 which isintegrally joined to the annular wall 24 by means of a crimpedcircumferential bead 26. The bead 26 thereby defines a continuousradially outwardly directed flange or enlargement which overlies anupper terminal surface 27 of the flexible member 23 and restraius thelatter against removal from the boss 25 upon the introduction of apropellant into the propellant chamber 21 as will be more fullydescribed hereafter.

Propellant is introduced into the propellant chamber 21 by means of amain passage, generally referred to by the reference numeral 28, whichis defined by the annular wall 24 of the boss 22 and a plurality ofpassage portions or openings 30 having axes substantially normal to theaxis of the boss 22 and the container body 11. The openings 30 are inidentical spaced relationship about the periphery of the boss 22, as isbest illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawing.

The flexible member 23 is an annular sleeve of elastic material, such asplastic or rubber, and includes an inner cylindrical sealing surface 33which seats against a cylindrical sealing surface 34 (FIGURE 2) of theboss 22 between the circumferential bead 26 and a radius portion 35joining the annular wall 24 to the lower closure 16. In the unstretchedcondition of the flexible member 23, the diameter of the sealing surface33 is less than the diameter of the surface 34 of the boss 22. Theflexible member 23 is stretched andslipped over the circumferential head26 until seated in the position illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawingat which time the flexible member 23 rebounds to urge the surfaces 33,34 into intimate sealing contact.

The dispensing container is charged with a suitable propellant from asource (not shown) of pressurized propellant, such as compressed air.The propellant is introduced through the main passage 28 of the boss 22and the pressure of the propellant acting against the flexible member 23through the openings causes the flexible member 23 to deflect radiallyoutwardly resulting in the unseating of the surfaces 33,. 34 and theresultant introduction of the propellant into the propellant chamber 21.After a predetermined volume of the propellant has been introduced intothe chamber 21, the supply of propellant to the passage 28 is terminatedand the flexible member 23 rebounds to the position illustrated inFIGURE 3 with the surfaces 33, 34 in sealing contact. The propellantwithin the propellant chamber 21 acting against the exterior of theflexible member 23 maintains the surfaces 33, 34 in sealing engagementand prevents the propellant from escaping after the charging operation.

Another novel charging valve constructed in accordance with thisinvention is illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawing, and isgenerally referred to by the reference numeral 40. The charging valve ishoused generally within a propellant chamber 41 of a dispensingcontainer (unnumbered) corresponding to the dispensing container 10 ofFIGURE 1. The dispensing container (unnumbered) includes a containerbody 42 and a lower closure 43 secured to each other by means (notshown), such as a double seam. An aperture (unnumbered) is formed in thelower closure 43 and is defined by an annular radially inwardly anddownwardly directed flange 44 (FIGURE 4).

The charging valve 40 includes a boss 45 and a sleevelike flexiblesealing member 46. The boss 45 is preferably constructed from relativelyrigid plastic material while the sleeve or flexible member 46 is formedfrom flexible elastic material, such as rubber.

The boss 45 of the charging valve 40 includes a central portion 47 andaxially opposite enlarged end portions 50, 51. The enlarged portions 50,51 define continuous radially outwardly directed flanges which cooperateto confine a portion 52 of the flexible member 46 therebetween, as isbest illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawing.

The lower enlarged portion 51 of the boss 45 includes means 53 forsecuring the charging valve 40 to the lower closure 43. The securingmeans 53 is a radially outwardly opening circumferential groove whichhouses the annular flange 44 of the lower closure 43. The flange 44 isseated in the groove 53 by forcing a tapered frusto-conical end portion54 through the opening (unnumbered) defined by the flange 44.

The boss 45 includes a main passage 56 terminating short of an end wall57. A plurality of identical passage portions or ports 58 open into themain passage 56 at the central portion 47 of the boss 45. The passageportions 58 open through a circumferential sealing surface 60 of theboss 45 which is normally in sealing contact with a circumferentialsealing surface 61 of the flexible member 46.

The flexible member 46 is similar in construction and operation to theflexible member 23 of the charging valve 20. However, as opposed to theuniform wall thickness of the flexible member 23, the flexible member 46has a varied wall thickness which progressively decreases upwardlybetween the enlargements 51, 50. This construction of the flexiblemember 46 assures unseating of the sealing surfaces 60, 61 above theports 58 during a charging operation.

Turning once again to the charging valve 26), the boss 22 thereof isformed by stamping a circular blank from a portion of metallic sheetmaterial. The diameter of the blank (not shown) is larger than themaximum diameter of the lower closure 16 in order to compensate for thematerial required to form the seam 17, the boss 22 and the concavecontour of the closure. While the circular blank is still flat, andplanar, a plurality of holes are each punched an identical distance fromthe central axis of the blank and the holes are equally arcuately spacedfrom each other. The particular shape of the holes or openings, as wellas the number thereof, may be varied as desired.

After the openings have been formed in the blank the blank is positionedbetween male and female die members (not shown) and a two-stage drawingoperation is performed on the blank to form an axially directed uncrimped boss having an axial length greater than the boss when crimped,and to form the concave portion of the closure radially outwardly of theboss. The partially formed closure is removed from the drawing apparatusand transferred to a crimping apparatus (not shown) which crimps orfolds over the material at the closed end portion of the boss to form acircumferential bead corresponding to the folded bead 26. A flexiblemember may be placed upon the uncrimped boss prior to the crimpingoperation to avoid the necessity of stretching the flexible member anappreciable amount as is necessary after the circumferential bead 26 hasbeen formed.

The closure and associated charging valve is then secured to a containerbody for subsequent operation in the manner heretofore described.

While both of the charging valves 2t), 40 are prefer ably provided withthe respective flanges 26, 50 to retain the respective flexible members23, 46 in the positions illustrated in the drawing and restrain theflexible members against axial movement, it is considered to be withinthe scope of this invention to eliminate the enlargements 26, 50. Inthis latter case, the elasticity of the flexible members would, in mostcases, be sufiicient to maintain the same secured to the bosses during acharging operation. Also, other restraining means in lieu of theenlargements 26, 50 may be provided, such as suitably adhesivelysecuring the lower end portions (unnumbered) of the flexible members 23,46 to the respective bosses 22, 45 or lower closures 16, 43.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageousprovisions have been made for carrying out the desired end. However,attention is again directed to the fact that additional variations maybe made in this invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A dispensing container comprising a container body, a lower closureforming a portion of said body, means defining a propellant chamber insaid body, valve means for introducing propellant into said propellantchamber, said valve means including a boss projecting upwardly from saidlower closure, passage means in said boss through which propellant isadapted to be introduced from the exterior of said lower closure to thepropellant chamber, means normally closing said passage means forpreventing the escape of propellant from said propellant chamber toatmosphere through said passage means, said passage means including amain passage between the exterior and interior of said lower closure anda passage portion opening generally radially through said boss, saidclosing means being a flexible member at least partially externallysurrounding said boss and overlying said passage portion wherebypropellant introduced into said passage means causes defiection of saidflexible member and the subsequent rebounding of said flexible membercloses said passage means and prevents the escape of propellant fromsaid propellant chamber, said flexible member being defined by anannular Wall, said annular wall being defined by inner and outercircumferential surfaces, and said surfaces being in convergingrelationship toward an axial end portion of said annular Wall wherebysaid end portion is relatively thin as compared to other portions ofsaid annular wall and is thereby readily flexed to admit propellant intosaid propellant chamber.

2. The dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein said bossincludes a central body portion and enlarged axially opposite endportions, at least a portion of said flexible member is confined betweensaid enlarged portions, and said means received in said aperture is acircumferential groove in one of said enlarged portions for securingsaid boss in said aperture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Bessesen 222-389 X Parkin137-525.3 Harrison 22295 Prick 222386.5 X Kaye et al 222-389 X Softer etal. 222--402.16 Nesin 222402.16 Hein 222402.16

WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner.

